Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-01-20

and dollar in hand paid by me, might b,
reconcilable."
"Now it's talkin' ye are. But whose th.
felly we're foighten, that's got the rings"
"Ah, my dear sir, it's the United States.
said the lawyer with gravity.
"The states the government is it? Ant
ts't that ye're afeared ofa Sure it's the gov
ernment that fought in me own counthree
1t was the government that druv me to Amer
ky, and is it now that I'm goin' back on me
principles"
"Your political sentiments do you great
credit, began Mr.. Wood.
But fwhots the government to do wild the
appaleY"
"The government" said Mr.. Wood signifi.
cantly, "will be represented by the district
attorney"
"And who's the spalpeens'
at is rumored," said Mr.. Wood slowly,
that new one is to be appointed /, my
self, have had some ambition that way"
His client bent q pair Of cunning but not
overwise gray eyes on his American lawyer.
But he only said, aye have, eht'
4
"Yes, said Wood answering the look boldly,
land if l had the support of a number of your
prominent countrymen, who are SO powerful
with all parties-men like you, my dear sir
why, think you might in time become q
conservative at least more resigned to the
government"
Then the lesser and the greater scamp
looked at each other, and for a moment or
two felt a warm, sympathetic, friendly emo
ton for each other, and quietly shook hands.
Depend upon it there is a great deal more
| kindly human sympathy between two openly
confessed scampS than there is in that calm,
respectable recognition that you and I, dear
reader, exhibit when we happen to oppose
each other with our respective virtues.
"And yell get the appales"
II will"
And he did! And by singular coincidence
got the district attorneyship also. And
with a deed for one-half of the "Red
Rock rancho" in his pocket sent brother
lawyer in court to appear for his client, the
United States, as against himself, Roscom-
mon, Garcia, ct al Wild horses could not
have torn him from this noble resolution
There is an indescribable delicacy in the legal
profession which we literary folk ought to
initiate.
The United States lost! Which meant ruin
and destruction to the "Blue Mass Company
who had bought from paternal and benef-
cent government lands which didn't belong to
it. The Mexican grant, of course, ante-date6
the occupation of the mine by Concho, Wiles,
Pedro, ct al, as well as by the "Blue Mass
Company" and the solitary partners, Biggs
and Thatcher. More than that, it swallowed
up their improvements. 1t made Biggs and
Thatcher responsible to Garcia for all the
money the grand master Of avarice had made
out of it. Mr.. District Attorney was ap-
parently distressed, but resigned. Messrs.
Biggs and Thatcher woro really distressed and
combative.
And then, to advance few years in this
chronicle, began real litigation with earnest
ness, vigor, courage, zeal and belief on the
part of Biggs and Thatcher, and TECHNICAL
ties, delay, equivocation and a general
Fabian-like policy on the part of Garcia,
Roscommon, ct al OF all these tedious pro-
cesses note hut one, which for originality
and audacity of conception appears to me to
indicate more clearly tho temper and civiliza-
ton of the epoch. A subordinate officer Of
the district court refused to obey the man
date ordering transcript Of the record to be
sent up to the United States supreme court.
It is to be regretted that the name of this
Ephesian youth, who thus fired the dome of
our constitutional liberties, should have
been otherwise so unimportant as to
be confined to the dusty records OF
that doubtful court Of which he was
a doubtful servitor, and that his caim
to Immortality ceased with his double-feed
service. But there stil stands on record q
letter by this young gentleman, erraigning
the legal wisdom of the land, which is not en-
tirely devoid Of amusement or even instruc-
ton to young men desirous Of obtaining pub
licity and capital. Howbeit, the supreme
court was obliged to protect itself By procur-
ing the legislation of his functions out Of its
local fingers into the larger palm Of its own
attorney.
which, when exercised practically in the af-
fairs of ordinary business, might have occu-
pied few months time, dragged, clung, re-
trograded, or advanced slowly during q
period of eight or nine years. But the strong
arms of Biggs and Thatcher held possession,
and possibly, by the same tactics employed
on the other side, arrested or delayed eject
ment, and SO made and sold quicksilver, while
their opponents were spending gold, until
Biggs, sorely hit in the interlacing Of his ar
NOR, fell in the lists, his cheek growing
waxen and his strong arm feeble, and finding
himself in this sore condition, and passing, as
it were, made over his share in trust to bis
comrade and died. Whereat, from that time
henceforward, Royal Thatcher reigned in bis
stead
And so, having anticipated the legal record.
we viii 60 back to the various human In
terests that helped to make it up.
To begin with Roscommon: To do
Justice to his later conduct and ex-
preston, it must be remembered that
when he accepted the claim for the
"Red Rock rancho" yet unquestioned, from
the hands of Garcia, he was careless, or at
least unsuspicious of fraud. 1t was not until
he had experienced the intoxication of litiga-
ton that he felt, somehow, that he was
wronged and defrauded man, but with the
obstinacy of defrauded men, preferred to ar
raign some one fact or individual as the i'm
pelling cause Of his wrong, rather than the
various circumstances that led to it. To this
simple mind it was made patent that the
"Blue Mass Company" were making money